Cardiovascular
Heart attack and stroke risk could be slashed by making one simple diet change
The risk of heart attacks and strokes could be cut by prescribing people with £50 worth of fruit and vegetables every month, according to new research.
Those who receive free produce had lower blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index, a study shows. Fruit and veg prescriptions saw an extra portion eaten per person daily, reducing the chances of falling ill. Experts from Tufts University in America analysed data from 1,817 children and 2,064 adults.
Those from low-income neighbourhoods were identified as at risk for cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease or Type 2 diabetes. They showed that most participants received a voucher equivalent to around £50 per month, which they could redeem at a supermarket for green foods.
All of those taking part answered questions about their food consumption as well as their health. The findings were published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes and it showed the power of the programme, showing results for those whose fruit and veg was subsidised by the government.
Professor Mitchell Elkind, chief clinical science officer of the American Heart Association, said: “Poor nutrition and nutrition insecurity are major drivers of chronic disease globally, including cardiometabolic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and their cardiovascular consequences, including heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
“This analysis of produce prescription programmes illustrates the potential of subsidised produce prescriptions to increase consumption of nutritious fruits and vegetables, reduce food insecurity and, hopefully, improve subjective and objective health measures.”
It comes as a top scientist says there are five foods that you should eat if you want to extend your life by a few years. “Planet-friendly” grub could help reduce a person’s risk of death from cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses by 25 per cent, researchers say. Improving your diet lowers your risk of several diseases – and it can also boost immunity as well as support brain development.
US experts found those who eat fruit, whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and unsaturated oils do a whole world of good. You can lower the risk of some conditions, the stats show. Known as the Planetary Health Diet Index, it looks at existing evidence to give scores for foods.
Study author and PhD student Linh Bui from at Harvard University said: “These healthy plant-based foods were associated with both low risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease, bowel cancer, diabetes, stroke, and total mortality. “We proposed a new diet score that incorporates the best current scientific evidence of food effects on both health and the environment. The results confirmed our hypothesis that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of mortality.”
The index takes into account the risk of chronic illnesses as well as environmental impacts such as water use, land use, nutrient pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, Dr Mark Hyman, a physician and author of the book Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life has recommended the foods people should eat every day.
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